They #StandWithIlhan

As Scott wrote here, glamorous freshman Representative Ilhan Omar caused a stir by coming out in favor of the anti-Israel BDS (“boycott, divestment and sanctions”) movement. Those who had been paying attention weren’t surprised, but most of Omar’s 5th District Jewish constituents apparently didn’t see it coming.

Omar’s left-wing supporters cheered her endorsement of BDS. The far-left site Common Dreams headlines: “#IStandWithIlhan: Supporters Reject Smear Campaign After Newly-Elected Omar Declares Support of BDS.” The “smear campaign,” apparently, is the Anti-Defamation League’s statement that “BDS doesn’t just criticize Israel’s government, it denies its right to exist as a Jewish State.” More about that in a moment. Common Dreams presents a rogue’s gallery of plaudits for Omar’s coming out in favor of BDS:

Omar is shown sporting a Palestinian flag.

This tweet by the left-wing Jewish Voice For Peace explains the origin of the striking image of Omar with the headscarf and flag, which we will return to shortly:

This one is by Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, like Omar a Muslim woman who has just been elected to Congress. Tlaib’s “free speech” theme is echoed by a number of Omar’s supporters, but it is mystifying. Has anyone suggested that it is, or should be, illegal to advocate for the BDS movement? Or that Omar should be arrested or punished for doing so? Of course not. When it is convenient, the Left deems any criticism a violation of its members’ “free speech” rights.

More:

Of course, it could be both.

As a couple of these tweets noted, the graphic used by most of them was created by an outfit called Watan Studio–@WatanPalestine on Twitter. Watan describes itself as “[a] creative arts shop focused on exploring Palestinian intellectual, cultural, and historical heritage.” It sells a number of products, several of which depict the familiar “map of Palestine”–which is, in fact, a map of Israel, with the West Bank and Gaza included:

The ADL is hardly paranoid (or “lying,” as asserted in one tweet found at Common Dreams) if it thinks the goal of the BDS movement is the destruction of Israel. This is an objective with which Omar appears to sympathize: “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel,” she wrote. Her friends on the far left couldn’t agree more. It would be nice if the minority of Omar’s constituents who are not hopeless leftists would wake up to what is going on.